BY JOVAN K
The Mido Ocean Star has been around since 1944, and over the years it has become one of those dependable dive-watch collections that quietly gets on with the job. The new Ocean Star 200 keeps that basic idea intact, but Mido has given it a noticeably sharper look. It is smaller than the outgoing model, more tool-watch focused, and drops the glossy ceramic-heavy look for something a little more straightforward. There are five versions in the new collection, with blue, white, silver, and black dials.
The new Ocean Star 200 measures 41mm x 11.7mm, with a 47mm lug-to-lug measurement, compared to the previous version, which was 42.5mm. Mido has mixed satin-brushed and polished surfaces across the stainless-steel case, giving it enough finishing to avoid looking like a basic tool watch without going overboard. The sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating on both sides, while the screw-down crown and caseback help deliver the 200m water resistance.
The caseback carries the familiar polished starfish in relief, along with the serial number, etc. Up front, the unidirectional bezel now gets an aluminium insert rather than ceramic.
The luminous pip at 12 has also been redesigned, sitting inside a rectangular marker instead of the previous triangular surround. This is where the redesign becomes more obvious. Instead of the glossy dials used on the Ocean Star 200C, Mido has gone for a grained surface. A sand-blasted flange surrounds the minute track, while the larger rectangular indexes give the dial a much more functional look.
The indexes are polished and nickel-plated, with white Super-LumiNova, and the hour and minute hands are diamond-cut, tri-faceted, and satin-finished. Both have a central groove and plenty of lume. The seconds hand is faceted as well, with a small orange lacquered tip that gives the otherwise restrained dial a bit of Mido’s signature color. The day-date remains at 3 o’clock. Depending on the version, you get blue, white, silver, or black, with matching aluminium bezels on most models. The white version gets a black bezel, while the silver dial brings in some extra orange details for a slightly sportier feel.
Inside is Mido’s Calibre 80, based on Swatch Group’s Powermatic ETA C07.621. It is an automatic movement running at 21,600 vibrations per hour with 25 jewels and up to 80 hours of power reserve. It features a Nivachron balance spring, which helps improve resistance to magnetic fields, and the decorated rotor features Côtes de Genève finishing. It is not an extravagant movement, but for an everyday diver at this price, the specifications make plenty of sense.
References:
M026.930.11.041.00 – Blue dial, blue bezel, stainless-steel bracelet
M026.930.11.011.00 – White dial, black bezel, stainless-steel bracelet
M026.930.11.031.00 – Silver dial, silver bezel, stainless-steel bracelet
M026.930.11.051.00 – Black dial, black bezel, stainless-steel bracelet
M026.930.17.051.00 – Black dial, black bezel, black rubber strap
Most of the collection comes on a stainless-steel bracelet with satin-finished outer links and polished centre links, and the folding clasp includes a diving extension and the engraved Mido logo, while the quick-change system makes swapping it out painless. There is also a black-dial version on a black rubber strap, giving the Ocean Star 200 a more straightforward dive-watch feel.
The stainless-steel bracelet versions are priced at CHF 800, while the rubber-strap model comes in at CHF 770.
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